2019 FORMULA ONE SEASON PREVIEW - MERCEDES W10: Same 2018 wheelbase, low rake and a lot of work on its Power Unit

The new
regulation has forced some teams to rethink the past season aerodynamic macro
concepts of the cars. Among those who will not have to make major changes to his
aerodynamic platform there’s certainly Mercedes,
which for several seasons had already focused his project on a long wheelbase
and a “low rake” (for more information click here). These are solutions that
should be perfectly in line with the 2019 technical regulation.

MERCEDES W10 2018: Long wheelbase and low rake philosophy

The Mercedes W10will keep the same wheelbase of the W09, being a clear evolution of
the car witch allowed the Brackley
team to win the constructors and drivers world champion.

Despite the
use of a larger tank (+5 kg compared to 2018) the German engineers have managed
to maintain the same wheelbase, which for the last two seasons it is the
longest of the Circus.

It’s
interesting to remember that, although it is not the case with Mercedes, the lengthening of many 2019 cars
wheelbase will not be a consequence of the increase in size of the petrol tank,
but only an adaptation to the new aerodynamic rules that prefer a macro
aerodynamic concept. Something that Mercedes
does not need.

MERCEDES W10 2019: The air flow will continue
to pass externally to the nose cone

The nose
will maintain the same very tight philosophy seen on two last Mercedes cars (W08-W09). It means that will allow the German team to bring a
greater airflow externally to the front wing pylons.

We are
talking about a more complicated road. For this reason in recent last seasons no
one has managed to replicate this solution. It is certainly easier to bring air
into the T-Tray area, and driving it
through the inside of the front wing pylons, or even a studied channels as in
the case of Force India or McLaren. The only one who have tried it
(Toro Rosso), has immediately taken a step back by returning to a more classic
nose specification.

MERCEDESW10 2019: Keep an eye to the nose cone external area development behind
the front wing

Taking a
look to the simplified front wing, Mercedes
is working hard on important developments in the “fangs" area that were
introduced during the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix weekend, to replace the canons
turning vanes.

This is not
a very constrained area by the 2019 technical regulation, for this reason the designers
imagination could be very important in the car air flow management. It’s worth
remembering that the upper flaps will disappear in the 2019 wing spec, as well the
now famous external tunnel and the various internal and external profiles to
the endplates. The wing cannot have more than five distinct elements, and the
endplates accentuated arched shapes it cannot exceed 15°. Beyond that, the
maximum number of flow conditioners to be placed below the wing will be in the
number of two.

MERCEDES W10 2019: The German team will not copy
the Ferrari solution in the entrance area of ​​the sidepost, even if...

The work
undertaken last season in the sidepost area will continue, with the aim of
further miniaturizing the cooling vents radiators and to make it leaner compared
to the W09.

The German
team will use a "classic" anti-intrusion cones position, and will not
replicate the 2017 Ferrari idea then copied by many other teams including Red Bull. However, they should not
mislead the images shown by Mercedes's Instagram account during the Christmas
holidays, where Brackley technicians were showing Hamilton and Bottas in what
was seen by many as the body of the new car; in reality, the two pilots were
just trying some accessories inside the 2018 body (W09).

MERCEDES W10 2019: There will be suspension upgrades
compared to 2018…

At the
mechanical level there will be no big news but only some adaptations in terms
of geometry and suspension mechanisms, confirming front and rear hydraulic
version that in the last season have created some tires usage problems then reduced
in the second part of the championship.

For sure, Mercedeswill continue to use the wheel
hub design. Indeed the FIA didn’t
forbid this solution during the winter tests, although it has not yet dedicated
a regulation point about.

MERCEDES W10 2019: A lot of work on the Power
Unit to earn HP compared to Ferrari

Mercedes
began working during the last year summer months on power unit, to try to
recover the power gap that separates it from Ferrari, especially in the qualifying configuration.

Many
conceptual innovations to the Power Unit are expected even if, talking to
people close to the German team, Cowelland his staff don’t believe they can count at the beginning of the championship
with a strong engine, that can have the same level as the Italian sister. A
Power Unit gap that Mercedes hopes
to fill with the mechanical and chassis goodness of the car. We'll see in Australia.

Talking
about the presentation day there is still no official date, because a decision
has not yet been made.

From the
information gathered by FUnoAnalisiTecnica
it is however unlikely that there will be a contemporary presentation of Ferrari and Mercedes. The new Bottas and
Hamilton’s “beast” should be unveiled a couple of days before Maranello’s car
(February 13 or 14).